


Secret Sign

by massuneko



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2018-12-26 01:50:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12048825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/massuneko/pseuds/massuneko
Summary: Wonshik couldn't really remember just how he managed to write down the novel that became a big hit. It felt like there was a large hole in his memory he barely could explain. At the same time, Taekwoon also didn't know just where the lyrics he wrote for his band's new song came from.





	1. Side R

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhat based on an anime movie "Your Name" by Makoto Shinkai, and from Whisper MV.

The sound of leaves rustling from the wind and the yellowing sunlight felt really nice for Wonshik. It was one of the rare times when he got a quality time all for himself after the novel he published became a great hit. The sudden fame felt unreal for him, both because he had published some other novels before and they’re barely even sell, and because he couldn’t exactly remember just _how_ he wrote this one. He did remember writing it, but he didn’t remember writing it that good. There was a time when he contemplated about sending it to his editor but in the end he sent it anyway, since he couldn’t find any trace of other people co-writing it.

But all the attention he got only made him felt drained, and so he requested for a period of vacation, going somewhere far off where there’s barely anyone who knew him. He wanted some peace. And above all, he wanted to know just what in the world was happening with him until he couldn’t remember writing that book.

As he flipped through a book he borrowed from a friend— _Inkheart_ ; Hakyeon said that it’s really good—he saw a figure coming over to the other seat in front of his camper. He was already informed by the lodging employee that there would be another man staying with him in that camper since they rented it based on the bed count and not the whole camper itself. After being told about it, he initially planned to cancel his booking. But in the end he thought that staying with a stranger didn’t really sound like a bad idea. He could always get some new story ideas from other people’s experiences.

He was about to put down his book and say hi when he caught from the corner of his eyes that the man opened his suitcase, revealing that it was actually a vinyl player. Wonshik immediately rolled his eyes and adjusted his glasses, thinking that the man was probably yet another hipster trying to look cool. He quickly plugged in his earbuds, opting to listening to the radio instead.

The song currently played didn’t sound familiar, and Wonshik guessed that it’s probably a newly released song. He tried to find the part in the book where he left off when a line struck him like a lightning.

_‘I want to draw you into my world'_

He felt his head spinning, the voice and the line echoing in his mind.

* * *

There was a period of time in Wonshik’s life that he couldn’t explain very well. The thing that happened to him didn’t make sense at all, but it still happened anyway.

It started when he had just started working on his newest novel. After receiving such bad sales on his previous books, he felt especially down and thus trying to be more careful and meticulous on the new one. Still, for a reason or another, everything he wrote down felt bland. It didn’t have the spark he’s looking for, and he got really frustrated about it.

He absentmindedly stared out from his apartment window, staring down at some street musicians at the alley and the small crowd watching their performance. Wonshik snorted at the sight.

“Seems that being reborn as street musician isn’t as bad as my current life,” he stated offhandedly.

After a short while, he decided to just listening to some music until he fell asleep on the couch.

* * *

When Wonshik opened his eyes, he felt really groggy. The air felt really hot and humid, and he felt his body bending at a very uncomfortable position. He tried to stretch his leg and he heard a loud thumping sound as he felt his feet colliding with wall or some sort.

He quickly jumped up, panicking instantly when he realized that he wasn’t in his apartment anymore. Looking around, it seemed that he was sitting at the back seat of a car. He quickly shivered in fear, frantically trying to asses the situation. The thought that he had been kidnapped flashed up almost immediately, and he quickly stumbling to find the door handle.

Then, he realized that something was off. The hand he reached out didn’t seem familiar. And when he slowly raised his gaze to meet his reflection at the window, he didn’t see himself there. Instead, he saw the reflection of another man, a pair of sharp eyes with surprise and horror looking back at him.

He slowly brought one hand to his face, watching how the reflection did exactly the same, confirming that it’s his own reflection. A terrified scream escaped his lips and it sounded so very far from his usual deep and raspy voice.

“What the hell…?” whispered Wonshik in that unfamiliar voice. He tried pinching himself and it felt hurt, so he thought that he’s not dreaming. But the body he’s currently in wasn’t his either. He thought about the possibility that he was waking up in someone else’s body, for whatever reason.

He quickly searched his pocket for any sign that would let him know just where he was and whose body he woke up in. He found a phone, but unfortunately it was locked and he didn’t know the passcode so he couldn’t really do anything with it. There was no wallet or car key in any of his pockets, so he rummaged the whole car for those.

The wallet he later found had an ID card, letting him knew that the owner of that body was someone named Jung Taekwoon, and that he was 3 years older than Wonshik. And from the content of that worn-out wallet, Wonshik could conclude that this Taekwoon guy was having a tough life.

Wonshik was about to look around again for more clues when Taekwoon’s phone buzzed. The name ‘Kenosaurus’ was seen on the screen, and Wonshik contemplated about answering it. In the end he did it anyway.

“Oh, thank heavens you answered. Hey, _hyung_ , did you overslept or what? Don’t tell me you forgot about today’s gig.” A cheerful voice quickly spoke from the other end of the phone, the sound of people shouting was heard in the background.

“Uh… Sorry,” said Wonshik softly. There was a long pause, and if not for the background noises, he’d think that this ‘Kenosaurus’ had already cut off the call.

“Okay that’s creepy, _hyung_. Did you just apologize? Are you drunk right now?” he replied quickly. Wonshik scratched his nape.

“Sort of…? I don’t know where I am and I can’t remember anything,” replied Wonshik, half lying and half telling him the truth.

“What the hell. Okay, are you at the usual place? I’ll pick you up. Don’t move anywhere,” he said.

“What do you mean ‘the usual place’?” asked Wonshik. He could hear him sighing very hard at the phone.

“Look around you. Tell me what you see,” he replied. Wonshik peeked from the window, describing the abandoned building and the graffitied walls around the car.

“I can’t believe you don’t even realize that you’re at your usual place. Tell me what you drank next time, when I need a perfect knock out like that. Don’t move, okay?” he said. Wonshik promised that he’d wait, and the call was ended.

While waiting, Wonshik continued to rummage the car. He found a notebook at the back pocket of the passenger seat, and he flipped it open curiously. There were stuffs written in it, and looking from the way it was written, those stuffs were either poetry or song lyrics.

One thing for sure was, the words used were really basic and it irked Wonshik a lot as a writer. He rummaged the seat pocket again and found a pencil case, pulled out one, and started leaving some notes. He circled some words and phrases that could be written better, noting down the alternatives that could be used in his opinion.

Firm knocks on the car’s window startled him. There was a young man outside, looking exhausted and worried. “ _Hyung_ , it’s me, Ken!” said the man. Wonshik frowned really hard, before he realized that ‘Kenosaurus’ was probably Taekwoon’s nickname for Ken, whatever that meaned.

Wonshik opened the car’s door and Ken quickly pressed his palm to his forehead. “You don’t seem like having a fever… Did you hit your head? Do you feel dizzy? Disoriented? Just how did you black out?” Ken quickly rained him with questions.

“I… Maybe I hit my head. I can’t remember anything,” lied Wonshik.

“Should we go to see the doctor?” offered Ken in a heartbeat.

“No,” rejected Wonshik just as quickly, “I don’t think I can afford it.”

“You can’t remember anything but you can remember that you’re broke as hell,” judged Ken really hard.

“I saw what’s in my wallet and it doesn’t take a genius to know that I’m almost literally penniless,” replied Wonshik straightforwardly.

“You can’t remember anything but you can blurt out big words,” judged Ken again, his eyes were squinted down in suspicion. “Okay, who the hell are you and what did you do with Leo- _hyung_?”

“What Leo?”

“ _That’s your stage name!!_ Just how much did you forget?!” Ken shrieked and Wonshik started to be able to understand why he was nicknamed ‘Kenosaurus’.

“Okay, that’s it. I’ll call Hyuk and tell him our performance today is cancelled. I’m driving you home. Go sleep and sober up. Give me your keys,” said Ken again, opening his hand and waited for the car keys. When Wonshik didn’t react, he added, “You don’t forget your own car keys, right?”

“No, I have it with me,” replied Wonshik as he pulled out the car key and handed it to Ken. “But I don’t know where’s my house’s key.”

Ken dragged a hand along his face tiredly. “ _Our_ house. Apartment, even. Us three live together. You, me, Hyuk. _Hyung_ , seriously, what did you drink because you don’t look drunk but you’re trippy as hell.”

Wonshik only shrugged in reply, and Ken didn’t push further. He only closed the passenger door and walked around to the driver’s seat.

During the whole trip, Wonshik stayed silent as he listened to Ken talking about how he shouldn’t drink something so strong it could knock him out that badly, since they’re currently busy with their band’s promotion. Ken also made sure that he wasn’t drugged and being harassed in some way. The thought made him shuddered, but he’s sure that nothing weird happened to him.

Well, aside from waking up in another person’s body, of course.

Their shared apartment was a little bit small, but it still looked homey anyway. Ken quickly ushered him to what seemed to be their shared bedroom, telling him to just change into something comfortable while he called the other band member. Wonshik nodded and opened the wardrobe, which seemed to be shared as well, and tried to figure out which one was Taekwoon’s. Ken returned in a minute, seeing him practically spacing out, then walked over to pull a drawstring pants from the rightmost pile and handed it to him with concerned look.

“If you’re still out of it tomorrow, we’re going to see the doctor,” warned Ken. Wonshik only nodded in reply.

Ken stayed until Wonshik changed his pants and lay down on the mattress, before exiting the room and actually called Hyuk. Wonshik listened carefully, and he could conclude that Ken was really worried about his condition, and Wonshik felt a pang of guilt for not telling him the truth. But then again, would Ken believe in anything he said?

Sighing, he turned around, trying to sleep. He thought that if he slept, maybe, hopefully, things would return to normal.

* * *

The urge to go to the toilet woke Wonshik up almost instantly. He groggily went on autopilot mode and navigated himself to the bathroom, not quite realizing that he had returned to his own apartment. Only when he washed his hand and saw his reflection on the mirror did he realize.

“Whoa,” he whispered, a little surprised with his own usual deep voice.

He then quickly checked around his apartment, trying to find if there’s any damage done during the body switch. At the first look, he found his books collection being stacked and scattered around the couch. It seemed that Taekwoon, if he’s really inhibiting his body during that time, was trying to read just anything he could read.

Some of his own novels were also scattered along with other books. From the pages that were left open, Wonshik found pencil scribblings all over it. It seemed that just like how Wonshik was leaving notes and critics on Taekwoon’s lyrics, Taekwoon did the same with his.

He skimmed those notes, and finding how Taekwoon’s comment in general was about how the stories were lacking in emotion and that Wonshik was being a pretentious for using unnecessary flowery words. Wonshik snorted hard as he closed the book, refusing to take any advices from someone he deemed inferior in writing.

Things he found at the kitchen made Wonshik exhaled loudly. It seemed that Taekwoon also found his wallet and spared no mind in spending the content. At least Taekwoon had enough conscience to clean up the empty takeout boxes and didn’t raid his fridge or shelf.

When Wonshik got back to check his desk, he was mildly surprised to see the food receipts being stacked neatly beside his wallet. He picked up the pieces of paper and read a note written on it.

_‘I took care of your nutrition intake for today, so don’t ask for refund’_

Wonshik couldn’t help but cackled at the note. He could accept that excuse, and in that moment he didn’t feel as annoyed anymore.

As he stashed back his wallet, he thought that it’d be a good idea to make some sort of diary, just in case he and Taekwoon switched bodies again. It sounded a bit silly, but he did it anyway. Taking out an empty notebook from his drawer, he pondered about what he should write.

In the end, he decided to write down his basic informations at the first few pages, and then added a note for Taekwoon to use that book to record things he did while he was using Wonshik’s body. Satisfied, he left that notebook on his bedside table and went to get some morning coffee.

* * *

It was almost two weeks later when the body switch happened again. This time, Wonshik woke up with Ken and another man he didn’t know practically using him as a mattress. He tried to forcefully shake them off, but none seemed to move. Sighing, he vaguely thought that he’d work out a lot while he’s in Taekwoon’s body to give that man some more muscles.

After struggling to break free from them for almost half an hour, the unknown man woke up with a large yawn. “Morning, _Hyung_. Password?” he asked with sleep-invested voice.

“What password?” asked Wonshik. The other man frowned and began slapping Ken to wake him up.

“Ken- _hyung_ , Ken- _hyung_. Wake up. Leo- _hyung_ is switched,” he groaned. Wonshik frowned and stared at him with confused look. “My name’s Hyuk, by the way. You must be Wonshik. Leo- _hyung_ told us everything.”

“Wait, what?”

“No secrets among brothers,” said Hyuk, yawning widely again. “Also, Leo- _hyung_ ’s passcode is 170828. Look for his cloud storage. Wake me up in one hour.”

With that, Hyuk casually dropped himself to Wonshik’s chest and snored softly, leaving Wonshik completely dumbfounded. He looked at Ken, who didn’t seem to be waking up anytime soon, then looked around for any cellphones.

The first one he found had Ken’s face as the lockscreen, and Wonshik quickly concluded that it must be Ken’s. The second one had a photo of cats, and Wonshik tried to type down the passcode. It was unlocked, and he quickly tried to find the cloud storage mentioned earlier.

Apparently Taekwoon also made some sort of log for the time they switched bodies. After reading everything, he called his own phone number just like Taekwoon asked. The dial tone rang a few times before it was cut off and replaced with a very careful, “Hello?”

“Taekwoon?” asked Wonshik tentatively. There was a long pause and for a moment Wonshik thought that he had it wrong.

“It’s weird to hear my own voice in the phone, saying my own name,” replied Taekwoon. Wonshik chuckled.

“Same here. Well, anyway, I’ll save my number to your phone. Do the same with mine,” said Wonshik.

“I know,” replied Taekwoon. “Anyway, I saw in your logbook that today you’re expecting… Hongbin? Should I call him to cancel the appointment?”

“No need, he’s only returning a book. Just tell him that you’re currently in the zone. He’ll leave immediately,” said Wonshik. Taekwoon hummed in reply, and Wonshik almost could see him nodding at the other end of the phone.

“Okay, I’ll end the call now. Just call me when you need anything. Also, you can just eat anything in the fridge or shelf. I’m trying to cut my spending,” said Wonshik.

“Will do. Bye,” replied Taekwoon. With that, they ended the call. Wonshik gave out a long sigh, then browsed the phone to find if Taekwoon left anything about how to wake up the other two since it was starting to get really uncomfortable.

There was none.

* * *

One thing Wonshik knew for sure, the switch happened very randomly. Sometimes they’d switch every a few weeks, sometimes days. The duration was also random. Usually it lasted a whole day, but there were rare occurrences when it only happened for half a day. There were also times when it lasted a few days, and Wonshik was thankful that at least they could contact each other by phone.

As time progressed, Wonshik found himself learning about music producing and songwriting, along with singing techniques. Ken taught him most things about how to sing properly, and he learned diligently since he knew that it’s important for Taekwoon and the whole band. Soon enough, he continued to train his vocal even when he’s in his own body.

“Either you fall in love or you’re thinking about switching job from being a novelist to a singer,” commented his friend slash editor, Hongbin, when they met up for some coffee. Wonshik frowned at the statement, then realizing that Taekwoon had met him a few times in his place. Wonshik suspected that Taekwoon unknowingly hummed or sang some songs while Hongbin was present.

“No, I’m just… researching. For my new novel,” replied Wonshik, ducking the question like an expert. Hongbin chuckled and Wonshik knew that he’s not buying any word he said.

“Come on, Wonshik. It’s not like I’ve only known you today. And this is not the first time you fell for someone. I know how it looks like,” said Hongbin, still with his charming smile.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but obviously you’re wrong,” said Wonshik. Hongbin grinned widely again and Wonshik felt like to punch him.

* * *

Wonshik noticed that Taekwoon changed several parts of the lyrics with the ones he suggested. There was a sense pride in his heart as he practiced singing the song. He surprised himself when he managed to reach higher notes, though he figured that it’s probably because Taekwoon had been practicing as well. But then the music stopped, with both Hyuk and Ken staring at him with wide eyes.

“Whoa, what was that?” blurted Ken. Wonshik frowned as he looked at both of them.

“Isn’t it supposed to be like that?” asked Wonshik.

“Actually, Leo- _hyung_ usually takes the lower notes. But what you did just now is… better? Maybe we should go with that,” explained Hyuk. Wonshik was mildly surprised with the revelation. He had always thought that Taekwoon would take more high notes than the low ones.

“I agree that we should go with this one. Don’t worry, we’ll inform Leo- _hyung_ about it,” said Ken. “Okay then, start again from the beginning of this part.”

* * *

The novel draft Wonshik kept in his cloud storage was full with notes from Taekwoon. He read them carefully one by one; taking the suggestions he thought to be interesting and incorporated those into his story. Although he didn’t want to accept it at first, eventually he came to accept that Taekwoon knew what he’s talking about. With his suggestions, the story he wrote seemed to have more colors. It drove him to learn more, read more, trying to improve himself so that one day Taekwoon would leave a note about just how much he liked his novel.

At some point, he came into realization that all he could think about was Taekwoon. Hongbin’s words about him falling in love resurfaced in his mind, but Wonshik quickly shrugged it off. It couldn’t be. He refused to accept that he had fallen for the random man he happened to switch body with.

* * *

It became harder and harder each time he woke up in Taekwoon’s body, realizing that he had the full permission to look and touch it all he wanted—probably not exactly _all_ but he could touch most parts. And it needed so much willpower to stop himself from touching Taekwoon’s body inappropriately.

Although, after a long struggle, he gave in.

The sensation was really weird, knowing that technically he was touching himself, but at the same time he was touching Taekwoon instead. The moans that escaped his lips were sung in Taekwoon’s high-pitched voice, ecstasy to his ears. When he finally came undone, it didn’t feel like how he experienced before; partially because it’s not even his own body.

Guilt filled him up as he calmed down, thinking just how much longer he had to experience this kind of torture.

* * *

The idea to meet Taekwoon directly probably wasn’t the best idea, but he thought that it could be the only way to stop the whole body switch incidents. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had become much too aware of his own infatuation and just how unhealthy the whole situation was. He didn’t tell Taekwoon anything about his plan, not wanting to scare him off somehow.

After making sure once again about the route he had to take, he departed. His heart was thrumming really hard in his chest he wouldn’t be surprised if it suddenly leapt out of his ribcage. During the trip, he tried to figure out just what he should say to Taekwoon when they met. Various scenarios were running inside his head and none felt real enough.

As he shuffled through the bus station, about to switch to the next bus, he felt a hand pulling him forcefully. He turned, about to throw curses at whoever pulled him, but words died in his throat as he saw the surprised face.

Wonshik opened his mouth, but even the first sound he made was swallowed by the screeching tires and blaring horn.

For a split second, he saw the front side of a bus, before it all turned black.


	2. Side L

Jaehwan and Sanghyuk had been really noisy, forcing him to have some days off and go having a vacation somewhere quiet. Taekwoon tried to convince them that he’s okay, and that he had been fully recovered. Alas, they didn’t believe him. Taekwoon, too, thought that he didn’t believe his own words anyway.

Apparently their definition of having vacation somewhere quiet was making him shared a camper with a complete stranger. As if it helped with the complete mess his mind had become. It seemed that a huge chunk of memory was lost when he got into that accident, making him felt really disoriented. Sometimes he didn’t feel like waking up in his own body, as if he had another one that was greatly different with the one he currently had. It was odd and impossible, so he tried to brush that sensation away.

There was already someone sitting in front of his assigned camper, completely engrossed with whatever book he had in hand. Taekwoon didn’t really care much, dropping his duffel to the ground as he sank to the couch. He opened the vinyl player case on top of the table, and pulled out the red vinyl Jaehwan gave him. Jaehwan specifically told him to play it immediately after he arrived, and he didn’t exactly know why, but he found no harm in following it. He noticed how the other man was rolling his eyes as he put on his earplugs, and Taekwoon glared at him. Taekwoon had already planned to listen through a headphone anyway, so that eye roll was really unnecessary.

He put on his favorite headphone, sighing softly at how the noises around him were finally blocked. The music played, and he recognized his own voice. It was the new song they recorded, and Taekwoon couldn’t really fathom just why Jaehwan thought that it’s important for him to listen to it.

That, until the next part played out. Instead of Hyuk’s soft voice, he was presented with a powerful and husky voice. For some reasons, he felt that he knew that voice, the one that made his heart ached so badly.

_‘I try to hide my feelings—I  haven’t fallen in love, I haven’t fallen in love—but I can’t deny that it’s love’_

* * *

Taekwoon was tired of having his song rejected _again_. It happened far too often for his liking, and the reason irritated every time. They said his songs weren’t sophisticated enough, with overly simple and straightforward lyrics. Taekwoon called it bullshit. There were a lot of people abusing flowery words to cover the lack of passion in their songs, and Taekwoon despised it with every fiber of his being. No, he’s so not going to take that path.

The usual coffee shop was packed with people he was forced to drink it someplace else. The content of his paper cup was already half empty by the time he reached his car—his band’s shared car, to be exact—and drove it to his usual quiet spot. He had called Jaehwan that he wanted some time alone for that day, so he could expect no phone calls from both him and Sanghyuk until the day rolled away.

He parked his car outside the abandoned office building, stepping out from his car just to throw the empty cup to the nearest trash bin. One of the walls he passed was covered with posters of a poem, and for a second Taekwoon thought how if he just took a sharp turn and just write a book or something. It didn’t sound as hard as composing a song and performing it.

That random thought was quickly shrugged away as he returned to the car, fully knowing that he’s not going to turn back on the choices he made himself. For the time being, what he needed was just some rest.

* * *

The surface under him felt oddly softer than usual. The air, too, felt much fresher. It didn’t feel like he had been sleeping in a car for the whole day, although his body still felt somewhat sore anyway. He stretched his legs, letting out a low moan… that sounded much lower than his usual voice.

Taekwoon sat right up, realizing that he was definitely _not_ at the back seat of his old car. He looked around, realizing that he was inside someone’s apartment. The blood in his body felt like rushing backwards, as he frantically tried to reason just why he ended up there. Him being kidnapped was the first possibility he thought of, although he couldn’t find any reason for anyone to kidnap him. He’s not rich, and neither was his family or friends. Another possibility was that he’s kidnapped for his body and it made him shivered, running his hands over his forearm.

When he did that, he realized that his arm felt different. Not just that, his whole body felt different. He looked down and squeezed his eyes at just how unfamiliar his body seemed. “What’s this?” he blurted out, and he quickly touched his neck when he heard the voice. It was deep and raspy, far different than his usual voice.

Still confused, he frantically tried to find his phone, tapping his pocket and flipping the pillows. When he happened to walk past a glass shelf, he saw how it reflected a figure that wasn’t himself, and he screamed. Again, the voice didn’t sound like his own, and he freaked out.

Completely forgotten about the phone he searched earlier, he ran towards one of the closed doors. The handle turned when he tried it, and he swung it open. The mirror sitting on top of the sink greeted him, with the face of a man he didn’t know staring back at him in horror. Taekwoon screamed again, but the voice was once again not his. He fell backwards and saw how the man in the mirror did the same, and he got even more scared.

Crawling slowly to the sink, he stood up little by little and saw how the reflection did the same. He raised a hand to touch his face, surprised at how it felt different than the usual—well, he didn’t even look like himself in the reflection. And until that point, he couldn’t find any logical explanation to what was currently happening.

Slowly, he returned to the previous room and tried to figure out just where he was. From a quick glance, he knew that he’s in a mid-sized apartment. The tall book shelf and the numerous books stuffed in it told him that whoever owned that place was clearly a bookworm and probably rich. He walked over to the shelf, taking a good look at the titles and writers. Most books were novels, written in Korean, but there were also some English books and some completely random books.

At the same shelf, there was one row with several books written by someone named ‘Ravi’, with some framed pictures that seemed to be from launching events of those books. The man whose body he currently inhibited was on those pictures, and Taekwoon concluded that he’s probably the one named Ravi.

Driven by curiosity, he took the frontmost book. He wanted to read it, but then his stomach growled and he looked around for a clock. There was one at the end table and it showed that it’s almost lunchtime already. Taekwoon decided to have something to eat first, since he knew that he’d definitely get too engrossed in reading and skip meals otherwise. If he’s in his own body, he wouldn’t really mind skipping a meal or two. But he’s in someone else’s body, so he had to at least have three meals.

Taekwoon decided that he’d pick up some other books that piqued his interest as well, stacking them at the coffee table before he looked around for the kitchen. He looked around for something he could prepare and eat quickly, but what he found was either unappetizing enough or should be cooked properly. In the end he returned to the previous room, rummaging left and right until he found Ravi’s wallet along with his phone. From the ID he saw in that wallet, he found out that Ravi’s real name was ‘Kim Wonshik’. He checked just how much money Wonshik had in that wallet, and he sighed deeply. It’s been awhile since he saw that amount of cash.

The phone was locked, but it didn’t matter much since he saw landline phone on the desk. After some more rummaging, he found some restaurant take-out brochures. He found some that he liked, and he quickly pressed the number to make his order. He stumbled a little as he talked on the phone, still somewhat surprised with the new voice.

As he waited for the food, he flipped open some books, trying to read them but he got bored easily and switched books easily. He made some mental note on words and phrases that sounded good and could be used in his songs. At first he wanted to list them down, but then he remembered that he’s not in his own body.

The food came, and Taekwoon started chomping them down like there’s no tomorrow. And while he’s eating, he resumed his reading, carefully putting the books away from the food so he wouldn’t accidentally ruin them. He was amused to find that he didn’t need to eat a lot to feel full already. But judging from the food he found in the kitchen and the rippling abs when he lifted the shirt out of curiosity, he could understand why. What he couldn’t understand was, why a novel writer needed such hot body.

Taekwoon tidied up the empty takeout boxes and resumed his reading, finally moving to the novels Wonshik wrote. The first few pages were interesting enough, but soon enough it became really boring. After awhile, he really wanted to comment on basically everything, so he picked up a pencil from Wonshik’s desk and scribbled down everything that came up to his mind reading the novel. He continued snacking as he read and wrote down his comments, pausing only when he needed to use the toilet.

Before he realized it, the sky had gone dark. He got up and searched around for the light switch, turning it on and continued reading until his eyes felt heavy. He forced himself to at least brushed his teeth and washed his face before tidying up the takeout boxes and receipts of his food, then plopped down to the bed, sighing contently from how nice it felt sleeping on an actual bed, all for himself.

* * *

It felt heavy and suffocating the next time he woke up. He groaned sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes as he looked down at the two men practically sandwiching him. When he saw the two familiar faces, he sighed in relief. He’s back.

“Hyukkie, Hyukkie wake up,” he called as he shook one of the two, who was easier to wake. Sanghyuk mumbled and cracked an eye open, frowning and stretching his body.

“Five minutes, _Hyung_ ,” he slurred. Taekwoon was having none of that. He continued bothering Sanghyuk until he’s fully awake and sat up with him.

“It better be super important or I’ll sell you out for new instruments,” groaned Sanghyuk with menacing glare.

“Okay, but first, was I acting weirdly yesterday?” asked Taekwoon back. Sanghyuk squinted his eyes, seemed to be listing down who would want to buy Taekwoon—as organs or a whole.

“You were totally out of your mind, if that’s what you asked. You forgot basically everything, and Ken- _hyung_ can’t even find what kind of drugs or alcohol you consumed,” replied Sanghyuk. Taekwoon bit his lip. So he really was switching bodies with Wonshik.

“Actually, yesterday I switched consciousness with someone named Kim Wonshik, or Ravi. It’s hard to believe, but it really happens,” explained Taekwoon seriously. Sanghyuk’s gaze had turned even more judging after listening to Taekwoon.

“I’m calling the mental hospital,” bursted Sanghyuk.

“I’m not crazy, you damn brat,” scolded Taekwoon as he gave a neck chop to Sanghyuk. Sanghyuk was frowning again.

“Wow, okay, at least today you’re swearing again, that’s… Should I believe in your story? You’re hella calm yesterday it scares us,” replied Sanghyuk. Taekwoon rolled his eyes.

After successfully waking Jaehwan up, Taekwoon told them about the strange phenomenon that happened to him the day before. Jaehwan and Sanghyuk also filled him in about what Wonshik did during the switch. He was glad that at least Wonshik didn’t do anything weird.

The three of them then agreed to make some sort of password, so the next time Wonshik woke up in Taekwoon’s body, they would know. Taekwoon also decided to create a daily log and kept it in his cloud server. Just for precautions, he also wrote down some sort of user guide about himself, listing down his routines and allergies and everything else Wonshik would need to know.

After setting up everything, the three of them went to have some practice for their next performance. Taekwoon dug out his notebook as Jaehwan drove them to the music studio, and he froze when he saw scribbles and comments in it.

_‘That Wonshik bastard… How dare he dissed my writing?’_

He shoved the notebook back into his pocket, feeling really upset, as if he didn’t do basically the same thing to Wonshik’s novels.

* * *

Taekwoon had already rejoiced from the fact that he wasn’t switching bodies with Wonshik anymore when it suddenly happened. He groaned loudly when he found himself waking up in a room he recognized as Wonshik’s. Needing to know just what time it was, he searched around for Wonshik’s phone, and found it along with a notebook. The note has ‘for Taekwoon’ written on the cover, so he opened it. It seemed to be that just like how he made a digital logbook for Wonshik, Wonshik also made one for him.

He flipped through the content, reading the important ones diligently and checking the newest log. He was frowning when he saw that Wonshik was expecting a guest that day. In that notes, Wonshik had written down about how he wanted Taekwoon to keep it a secret. He wondered just how he was supposed to do it when he’s really bad at keeping secrets.

Just as he was still thinking about how to face this ‘Hongbin’ guy, Wonshik’s phone rang. There was no caller ID, but he recognized the number as his own. He quickly picked it up, then steadied his racing heart before saying carefully, “Hello?”

“Taekwoon?”

Hearing his own face over the phone felt really odd. He needed a moment to adjust before replying with, “It’s weird to hear my own voice in the phone, saying my own name." He heard a chuckle and he wondered if his voice had always been like that.

“Same here. Well, anyway, I’ll save my number to your phone. Do the same with mine,” said Wonshik.

“I know,” replied Taekwoon. While he’s at it, he thought that he should ask, just in case. “Anyway, I saw in your logbook that today you’re expecting… Hongbin? Should I call him to cancel the appointment?”

“No need, he’s only returning a book. Just tell him that you’re currently in the zone. He’ll leave immediately,” said Wonshik. Taekwoon hummed in reply, a bit relieved that he didn’t need to think about what kind of excuse he should make himself.

“Okay, I’ll end the call now. Just call me when you need anything. Also, you can just eat anything in the fridge or shelf. I’m trying to cut my spending,” said Wonshik.

“Will do. Bye,” replied Taekwoon. With that, he ended the call. He then went to the kitchen, checking just what was available for him to eat. Just like before, he either had to cook or compromise with something that wasn’t exactly tasty.

In the end, he chose to cook instead. Since he was too lazy to make different dishes for each mealtime, he decided to just make something in large portion for lunch and dinner, and settled with some energy bars for breakfast. And while waiting for the food to be completely cooked, he read some random books from Wonshik’s shelf again.

He was still engrossed with his reading when he heard the buzz of Wonshik’s doorbell. Assuming that it was probably Hongbin, Taekwoon put down the book and opened the door without unhooking the chain.

“Hey, Wonshik. I’m here to return your book,” said the handsome man standing in front of his door, smiling widely until his dimples showed up. Taekwoon opened his hand from the gap, and Hongbin’s smile faltered.

“Are you not going to let me in?” asked Hongbin. Taekwoon shook his head.

“I’m busy. Just hand over the book,” replied Taekwoon shortly. Hongbin shrugged and pulled out a book from his bag, handing it over through the gap.

“If you need some advice for your new nov—”

Taekwoon shut the door before Hongbin even finished his words, not wanting to rise more suspicions. He could hear Hongbin muttering ‘brat’ from behind the door before walking away. Sighing, Taekwoon wondered if he and Wonshik would be okay if the body switch continued.

* * *

After some time, Taekwoon discovered that the switch happened very irregularly, both for the frequency and the duration. There was time when they switched for days and Taekwoon thanked anyone who invented cellphone for allowing him to call Wonshik whenever he was in need.

Since Taekwoon got to read a lot of books during his stay in Wonshik’s body, he found himself wanting to write something more than just lyrics. He didn’t plan to make novels like Wonshik did, though. But he wanted to incorporate stories into his lyrics, so that it’s not just a plain straightforward expression, but something that needed to be fully heard to be understood and enjoyed.

Wonshik let him borrowed his computer whenever they were switched, and Taekwoon often used it to write down the lyrics he came up with before he forgot it. After some time, Wonshik also told Taekwoon that he had installed some programs Taekwoon could probably use to make songs. Taekwoon was taken aback by just how well Wonshik treated him.

Since Wonshik had gone as far as installing him those stuffs, Taekwoon felt that it’s a total waste not to use it. Whenever Wonshik wasn’t expecting any guests, Taekwoon would be engrossed in song-making, borrowing Wonshik’s voice to sing out some parts. At first he was still awkward about it, but eventually he rolled away with that, recording and making guides using Wonshik’s voice.

“Say, _Hyung_ … You can always record the guide with your own voice in my laptop, so why did you do it with Wonshik’s?” asked Jaehwan after he’s done listening to the guide Taekwoon gave earlier.

“Well, it’s easier to do it in his place. I don’t have to work twice,” replied Taekwoon nonchalantly. Jaehwan hummed and nodded slowly.

“But why do I get the vibe that you actually want to indulge yourself in his sexy husky voice?” teased Jaehwan with a wide grin.

That earned him a neck chop from Taekwoon.

* * *

After Wonshik allowed him to read and comment on the new novel he was working on, he was mildly amused at how Wonshik actually followed his advices. The story that once felt bland had slowly turned fascinating. It’s like finally adding colors to blank black-and-white lines.

It’s just like how Wonshik turned his music into something more beautiful, Taekwoon vaguely thought.

Snorting, he picked up the mic to record another guide for his band’s newest song. But right after he finished recording and tweaking it, he record another one, more seriously this time, all while leaving his own parts blank. He saved everything into his cloud drive, heart pounding hard thinking about what he was about to make.

* * *

It was very Sanghyuk to barge in without even knocking, and Taekwoon was more startled than usual. The music blasting from his speaker wasn’t supposed to be heard by anyone else, not even his own bandmates. It was something he made exclusively for himself. But Sanghyuk’s appearance had blown everything to bits.

“ _Hyung_ , I’m hungry! Can we get—wait, isn’t this our newest song? Why would you mix your own part with the guide— _oh!_ ”

Taekwoon didn’t like how Sanghyuk’s confused frown turned into a wide grin almost in no time.

“Get out, you brat,” growled Taekwoon as he sat up from his seat and dashed towards the door.

Sanghyuk pulled the door closed with high-pitched laughter, running out from their apartment while yelling all over the corridor, “ _Leo-hyung has a crush on Wonshik-hyung!!_ ”

Taekwoon could only roll down to the floor, covering his burning red face while groaning loudly.

* * *

He’s playing dirty. _Very_ dirty.

He knew that he could always record Wonshik’s voice in any way he wanted, sending it to himself to be heard later, for his own purposes. Locking himself in the bathroom while Sanghyuk and Jaehwan was away, Taekwoon plugged on his earphone in hurry, then opened a certain audio recording he made while he was in Wonshik’s body. He knew that it wasn’t right, but who was he to refuse the offer that was laid right in front of his eyes.

Despite knowing that all the breathy moans and grunts in that recording was something he did himself, he got really aroused anyway. He knew that Wonshik wouldn’t make those sounds, at least not for him. Wonshik wouldn’t call out his name in such erotic way that made him shuddered from head to toe.

As he slowly came down from his high, he chuckled at just how fucked up he had become.

* * *

Just as how he always secretly sent the recording of Wonshik’s voice to his own phone, he sent Wonshik’s address as well. His mind felt like a thunderstorm and he needed to meet Wonshik to calm it down. He thought that maybe, if he met Wonshik face to face, the whole switch would stop. It had been far too unhealthy for himself, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Wonshik felt the same way.

Trying to clear his buzzing mind, he took a look around to make sure that he was still in the right track. What he found among the crowds made him widened his eyes in surprise instead.

Before he could even think about it, he reached out his hand, grabbing the muscular arm and pulled him in with all his might. He saw the man turned around with annoyed expression, which melted into the look of surprise in no time.

Taekwoon opened his mouth, but even the first sound he made was swallowed by the screeching tires and blaring horn.  
  
For a split second, he saw the front side of a bus, before it all turned black.


	3. Side LR

Taekwoon pulled off his headphone, panting. Had he fallen asleep listening to the song? He didn’t know. He felt blacked out. But he knew was that he needed to go. There was someplace else he had to go to, somewhere that wasn’t there. But as he scrambled from his seat, he heard an unfamiliar yet familiar voice calling out for him.

“Wait—!”

He slowly turned around to the source of that voice. And there he was, with the surprised face that mirrored his own, as if they were switching bodies again and he was standing in front of the mirror.

“You… May I know your name?” he asked slowly. “Ah, by the way, my name is Wonshik.”

Hearing that name and that voice, Taekwoon felt like there was a heavy weight crushing on his chest. It was as if he was drowned in the wave of longing he didn’t know he had.

Wonshik also stood up from his seat, heart pounding hard in his chest although he still tried to stay calm. He gave Taekwoon his best smile, offering a hand.

Taekwoon stared at that hand, then back to Wonshik’s face. He took several deep breaths, willing himself not to break down as he said his name softly, “Taekwoon.”

“Nice to meet you, Taekwoon,” greeted Wonshik, his voice calm and soothing.

Instead of shaking Wonshik’s hand, Taekwoon opted to slam his whole body forward, circling his arms around Wonshik and grasped hard at the shirt like his life depended on it. He could hear Wonshik chuckling nervously, before placing his hands on Taekwoon’s back, patting him slowly. Taekwoon inhaled deeply, feeling dizzy from all sorts of memories and emotions crashing on him. Wonshik felt the same, although he was trying to hold himself more.

Things were starting to make sense; the novel, the song, the blank spots in their memories after they woke up from the accident in different hospitals, the worried looks in their friends’ faces when they said that they didn’t remember everything that happened during the time they switched bodies. They didn’t know whether their meeting in that camper was planned behind their backs or not, but it didn’t matter as much, since they managed to find each other again.

After they calmed down, they decided to move inside for more privacy, sitting face to face on the opposing beds. They felt that there were a lot of things they wanted to say, but also nothing at all. Although both were far too used to create beautiful strings of words, they found it difficult to do in the presence of each other.

Wonshik was the first to break the silence. “I don’t know how to explain this, but… A few months back, I got into accident. They said I, uh, got hit by a bus? It’s a huge accident. Many people got hurt. Well, anyway, I must’ve hit my head that time because I lost a huge chunk of memories. Probably about—”

“—Six months,” breathed Taekwoon. “I woke up not realizing that six months had passed since my last memory.”

It was exactly the same with him, Wonshik thought. Six months, in which he somewhat managed to write a novel in the level he never reached before. It was as if someone else was there, influencing him in a way no one ever did before.

“Hongbin said… Ah, Hongbin is my close friend. Hongbin said that in that period, I picked up interest in music producing, and I found several programs related to it in my computer, but I never remembered using it,” added Wonshik.

“As for my friends, they always mentioned a name that I didn’t recognize, insisting that the person was important to me,” said Taekwoon. He fiddled with his fingers, inhaling deeply and stared right into Wonshik’s eyes. “They… They said I should remember someone named ‘Wonshik’…”

Wonshik chuckled. “Well, my name’s Wonshik, but that can be anyone else with the same name. I mean, I can’t be the only one named ‘Wonshik’ in this entire country, can I?” he argued jokingly.

“I know it must be you,” said Taekwoon firmly.

“I also know that it must be you,” replied Wonshik with a smile. Taekwoon frowned in confusion, but then Wonshik dug inside his pocket and pulled out a worn-out notebook. On the cover was Wonshik’s handwriting, ‘for Taekwoon’.

“The inside is… well… It’s covered with blood and other stuffs, probably from the accident, so it’s completely ineligible. But as you can see, the cover is intact, and the name…” Wonshik’s words trailed off but Taekwoon could catch what he wanted to say. It was the name Wonshik never encountered before, much like how Taekwoon couldn’t recognize Wonshik’s name mentioned by Jaehwan and Sanghyuk.

Silence returned between them, and Wonshik had pocketed back the bloody notebook. They’re still figuring out what to do, where to start, since they felt like they’re complete stranger, and yet they felt like they’ve known each other since forever.

“So…” Taekwoon was the one who broke the silence first this time, clearing his throat before continuing, “What now?”

“Well, I rented this camper for a week,” stated Wonshik. Taekwoon nodded.

“Jaehwan made me stay here for a week too,” replied Taekwoon.

“That’s plenty of time to know each other,” said Wonshik. Taekwoon nodded again.

“We can meet up after this too. If you want to, I guess,” added Taekwoon. Wonshik chuckled.

“I want to,” replied Wonshik firmly.

And despite the two of them swearing to themselves to take everything slow, they ended up staying on the same bed, limbs tangled as they breathed into each other.


End file.
